


spread so thin

by allofspace



Category: The Lorien Legacies - Pittacus Lore
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Canon Compliant, First Kiss, M/M, Roommates, the whole gang is in there a little
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 06:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17596073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allofspace/pseuds/allofspace
Summary: Caleb can't control his clones as per usual, and it lands him in some trouble with Nigel.Set during the Fugitive Six book.





	spread so thin

Caleb was trying to read a text book while Nigel struggled to hang a poster on his side of the room. He was standing on his bed, jumping up and down, trying to tape the poster up at the perfect height. 

Caleb couldn’t concentrate anyway, so he got up and leaned against Nigel’s desk to watch him struggle.

“Want help?” Caleb asked. He was almost a full foot taller than Nigel and would be able to hang the poster with ease. And of course Nigel already knew this.

“Nope,” he replied, jumping up once more to slap a piece of tape on the top corner of the poster. 

It was a picture of some rock star with his shirt wide open, kneeling in a stage and licking a guitar. Caleb didn’t understand the appeal to guys with long, greasy hair, but then again Caleb didn’t understand a lot about Nigel’s tastes.

“What do you think?” Nigel asked after successfully sticking the poster to the wall.

“Not really my type,” Caleb said thoughtfully.

Nigel tolled his eyes. “Yeah, no duh.”

Caleb laughed awkwardly, pushing down the words that were trying to come out. You’d think by now he would have learned that suppressing anything never worked for long with him. Yet, he still had to try. If he said every thought that popped into his head, he’d be even less popular, if that was even possible. 

It seemed that today, this particular side of him had evidently had enough, and a cloned forced itself out, popping into existence beside him. 

Nigel has mostly gotten used to this occurrence, especially with Caleb purposely creating clones for band practice. 

Caleb hated when they jumped out uninvited though. He would never not be bitter about it, he deserved to keep some feelings hidden.

Caleb jumped at the clone, but he was too late, just slightly too far away to stop the clone from talking. “My type is more David Beckham,” the clone said, nonchalantly. It analyzed its nails as if it was bored. “Or like... Brad Pitt,” the clone smiled. 

“Shut up,” Caleb said. “Please, please shut up.” 

Nigel stood in shock, looking between Caleb and his clone. 

“Honestly, what is this guy’s deal?” the clone asked, pointing toward the poster. “Not hot.” He looked pointedly towards Nigel as if saying he really needed to get better taste. Caleb snacked his hand in his face. Then he clenched his eyes together and concentrated hard to pull the clone back in.

There was silence in the room for a while. 

“Sorry,” Caleb said. He felt embarrassed but that was nothing new. He just hated feeling embarrassed in front of Nigel, because they’d become such good friends that Nigel could usually just laugh off the clones and their opinions. 

But Nigel stood before him, looking... something Caleb couldn’t describe. It was a look he wasn’t used to or maybe had never even seen coming from Nigel before.

“What?” Nigel finally said, snapping out of his shock. “No worries, it’s fine. I just, didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me before?” 

Something in Nigel’s voice told Caleb it was actually all that fine. He wondered why though. He knew Nigel couldn’t have a real issue with it since Nigel himself was gay. Maybe Nigel felt like he had been keeping some big secret, when Caleb just never gave it that much thought. 

“It’s not a big deal or anything. You know how my clones work, it’s just a small part of me. Just one clone.” Caleb shrugged. 

“Tired of keeping its voice down,” Nigel offered. He gave Caleb a small smile but it didn’t feel sincere. 

“Sorry I didn’t tell you before, it’s just not something I see as a big part of me,” Caleb tried to explain.

“It’s cool, I get it. I think,” Nigel said. He looked at his computer. “Oh, I actually have to go. I’m meeting Nine.”

“You are?” Caleb asked. He was pretty sure he would have known if Nigel had a one on one training session with Nine today, but he didn’t want to push it. Figured Nigel needed some time if he was making up excuses.

“Yeah. I’ll see you later for band practice though,” Nigel said, already practically running out of the room. 

“See ya,” Caleb said quietly to the empty room. 

The next week was pretty weird. Caleb and Nigel still practiced together and trained with the team, but Nigel seemed different. They practiced their songs but their was no banter from Nigel, no making fun of Caleb for the faces one of the clones made or for hitting a wrong note even though Nigel’s pitch wasn’t exactly perfect. Nigel seemed somber and not at all his normal, loud self. Yet some of that came back out around the others, though he was still a little subdued. If the others noticed, they didn’t say anything. Though Caleb was sure Ran was watching him more carefully than normal. Would Nigel have told her? He wouldn’t do that if there was nothing to tell. But he still couldn’t figure out how he’d upset his friend so much with his accidental clone slip-up. 

By the end of the week, Caleb was frustrated and annoyed, sick of being treated different by his friend and roommate for whatever reason he had. Their group was sitting down for lunch, Taylor and Kopano left to train with Nine. Nigel quickly made an excuse to leave after that, and Caleb took his chance to talk to Ran. Isabela must have taken his tone as a cue to leave and he was thankful for her tact just this once. 

“Ran, I know Nigel must have told you what happened,” Caleb started nervously.

She nodded sharply once with nothing to say. 

“Well he’s been acting so weird. Like he’s mad at me or something and I can’t figure out why! He’s my best friend here and I really hope I haven’t messed everything up. It was just an accident, I didn’t mean to let the clone slip out. You guys know how hard it is for me to control them when I push certain feelings down,” Caleb said. He hadn’t meant to say so much, but the words just kept spilling out and it felt good to get it off his chest. He looked dejectedly down at his hands, wondering what Ran’s reaction would be. When he looked up, he was surprised to see her smiling softly at him.

They had never really been close, Ran wasn’t really that close with anyone other than Nigel. But now she reached an arm across the table to rest a hand on his hands which he had gripped tightly together. 

“It is not your fault,” she said simply. “You need to talk to him, but maybe I will try to talk some sense into him first.” 

Caleb was confused by her words. He was sure he had done something wrong and yet she seemed to be on his side, if there were even different sides that is. He felt much better upon hearing her words though, and she retracted her hand. It had been a little weird but comforting nonetheless. 

“Really? Oh... okay, thanks Ran.”

“I want Nigel to be happy,” she said, getting up from her seat.

“Me too,” Caleb said a little more solemnly. All he wanted was to make Nigel happy. Heck, that’s why he even agreed to make this band using his clones, to helps fulfill Nigel’s dream of being a rockstar, even if it would only be for a night. 

Ran gave him another small smile, this one a little different, with her head slightly tilted, like she was noticing something about him for the first time. He felt awkward under her gaze but she eventually turned and left. 

Later, Caleb returned to his room expecting to find Nigel there but all was quiet. He decided to take the time to get some reading done and settled in on his bed with a textbook and a notepad. 

Caleb fell asleep after several pages of notes were made and was woken up by the door opening.

“Hey,” Nigel said. 

Caleb was a little surprised that Nigel was even acknowledging him at this point. Maybe Ran had talked to him tonight. 

“Hey,” Caleb said, sitting upright. He noticed a small patch of drool on his notes that had become a makeshift pillow.

“Studying?” Nigel asked, pointing toward the supplies on the bed.

“Yeah, I was,” Caleb replied. “Fell asleep though. It’s late isn’t it? Where have you been?” 

Nigel sighed in exasperation. “Ran and Isabela kidnapped me.”

Caleb’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh? Why?” 

“Apparently because I suck and I’ve been a huge asshole to you for no good reason.”

Caleb swallowed hard. “Oh,” he said simply. 

Nigel laughed. “That’s pretty much what I said when I realized they were right.”

Caleb didn’t know what to say. He wanted to know if Nigel was going to tell him or now that he realized it, things would just go back to normal and Caleb would never know why it happened in the first place. 

“It’s fine,” Caleb said. “I get it.”

“You do?” Nigel said unconvinced.

“Ok, no. I don’t get why, but I don’t know, I get that you were weirded out or something. I’ll just be happy if we can still be friends.”

“Oh Caleb,” Nigel sighed, shaking his head softly. “I was not weirded out. I was... a little angry. Jealous maybe.”

Caleb was confused by Nigel’s explanation, or lack thereof really. It still didn’t make sense to him. Jealous of what? Maybe he thought Caleb would be competition?

“Why? Look I promise, I don’t think it’s that big a part of me. It was just some feelings I had been pushing down, that’s why the clone jumped out. Nothings going to change if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Nigel’s shoulders fell. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “Look I guess I need to just come out and say this. Because you don’t get to hide your feelings so it’s not that fair that I can. If I had a clone it would be bursting out of me to say this. Even if I fuck up our friendship, because apparently I was doing that anyway. I like you okay? A lot. But you were always straight and unattainable and you were in puppy love with Taylor and it was fine, I’d accepted it. But then I find out that there’s this part of you, however small, that likes guys. It was like a stab in the chest or a slap in the face or something to me I guess. Like you weren’t unattainable because of your straightness anymore. You like guys and you just don’t like me that way and I get it. It’s totally fine and I will get over it but I guess I just needed some time to be self-pitying and angry. But I really don’t want to fuck up whatever we have going on here.”

Caleb sat on his bed perfectly still, eyes wide in shock as Nigel bared his soul in a rare show of vulnerability. Caleb didn’t know where to start, which piece to address first. His mind raced over Nigel’s words wondering if he missed anything in his state of surprise and confusion. 

“I don’t want to fuck this up either,” Caleb agreed. It was a good place to start, he thought. “But I knew our friendship felt different than with the others. I always felt like you’re the only one who really understands me, or even tries.”

Nigel was watching Caleb carefully, like he was ready to flinch if Caleb suddenly snapped and tried to attack him. Caleb felt a sharp pang in his chest. 

“I think I convinced myself you were just a friend when... I still don't feel like it’s enough. I just want to share everything with you all the time and I always want to be trying to make you happy,” Caleb said. It was as if he was on the brink of solving an equation he’d been working on for months. Finding his way through his thoughts and feelings as he said them aloud. 

Nigel was watching him differently now, like he was hanging off every word of Caleb’s. 

“What are you trying to say, mate?” Nigel asked quietly. His usual bravado nowhere to be found. 

Caleb bit his lip, knowing the conclusion he had come to, knowing how Nigel felt, but it was still all so overwhelming. He tried but he just couldn’t form the words. He wished he could just take action instead. And suddenly a clone peeled away from him. The clone took a big step toward Nigel, put his hands on his face and kissed him. Caleb’s cheeks turned bright red. 

Caleb watched Nigel's face go from surprise to complacent under the touch of the cline. When the clone pulled away, it looked back at Caleb and said, “was that so hard?” 

Caleb was able to pull it back in after that. 

“I’m sorry!” Caleb said quickly. He hated his powers so much sometimes. Or most of the time, really. 

“Uh, don’t be,” Nigel said. “Just wondering though, is it just that one clone who wants to do that?”

Caleb shook his head. He sucked at this and Nigel wasn’t much better. They were both terribly awkward and bad at feelings but Caleb knew he didn’t have to worry about Nigel judging him for it, because he understood it so well himself. 

Nigel then came to sit beside Caleb on the bed. “Do you want to try that yourself?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” Caleb said so soft and quiet it was barely more than a breath. Then he leaned toward Nigel and Nigel tilted his head a little. And their lips met softly and Caleb felt awkward, like he didn’t know the rules or what was supposed to happen next. They learned the moves together, experimenting in slow movements. 

Caleb pulled back after a little while. His clone had been so confident and sure and the kiss looked just like those in the movies. “Was my clone better than me?” He asked self-consciously. 

“Not even close,” Nigel said. He pulled Caleb back in for another kiss, the swipe of his tongue across Caleb’s bottom lip had Caleb forgetting any remaining self doubt. 

They fell asleep on Caleb’s bed after kissing lazily for what felt like hours, Caleb’s arms wrapped tight around Nigel, and Nigel’s face buried in Caleb’s chest. And when they showed up to have lunch with their group of friends the next day holding hands, only Kopano seemed surprised. Isabela smirked at them and Ran had an uncharacteristically wide grin. Caleb slung an arm over Nigel’s shoulders as they all talked and ate. 

Caleb tried to think of a time he’d ever felt so whole, but he came up blank.

**Author's Note:**

> um so ya this happened because i refuse to believe a guy spitting out clones for every little thing he keeps deep down inside him wouldn't have some bi-curious clone slip out at the least! i hope someone out there enjoys x) <3


End file.
